Turn It Up! Leonard Charles comin correct with the super proper Donuts tribute. On Basement Donuts, the Auckland-based musician reinterprets Dilla s full 31 track masterpiece in a live modern funk style… and trust, it sounds incredible. If Donuts was made in Dam-Funk s studio, it might sound something like this. No sampling of the source or sourced material –…
“What’s the 411?” is a pretty well-known piece of early 90s slang that didn’t quite survive the new millennium. What isn’s so well known is that before she signed to Uptown Records and dropped this scorching debut album, Mary J. Blige was actually a 411 operator (translation for millenials: before the internet, you used to…
You and your girls are going out tonight Ya ll been planning this all week, right… N*E*R*D s third album was a deliberate attempt to bring the hyperactive energy of their live shows into the songwriting process, best exemplified by lead single Everyone Nose but also apparent on album cuts Spazz, Kill Joy, You Know What and…
The one that started it all! Paul Nice was looking out for producers way before many records of this kind even existed. The original volume of the Drum Library series from 2001 brings 20 premium breaks from Mr. Nice s extra deep crates. If you ve heard any of the other volumes, you already know Paul pulls only…
Certified sophisti-club banger from ‘03 now pressed on 7” for the very first time. This Red Astaire D’Angelo flip ushered in the unstoppable era of the Swedish remix (who knew?) and G.A.M.M. established itself as the force that it has remained in the open-minded dancefloor oversight DJ consortium. If you lived in NY in the…
Think me come fi play? Super Cat began his career toasting on the Killamanjaro soundsystem (when he was known as Cat-A-Rock) before breaking out with the smash “Si Boops Deh” on Winston Riley’s Techniques label (with a classic Limonious sleeve). He moved to New York in the early 90’s and made an even bigger splash with…
Two killah kuts! First up is Altered Tapes s rework of The Emotions Blind Alley, who adds more bump and highlights the horns to optimize the classic soul track for the dancefloor. On the flip is a re-rub of Big Daddy Kane s Aint No Half Steppin (produced by the legend Marley Marl), which Phoreyz…
Originally an offshoot of LA creative collective Odd Future, it was Ego Death, The Internet s Grammy-nominated third LP, that put Syd, Matt Martian and the rest of the gang at the forefront of the young, cool brand of r&b. Following the record s success, however, the members decided to take a break to pursue…
“If you got ‘Drunk’ it’s only right that you get ‘Drank’. I feel like they go together.” – It seems west coast modern jazz-funkster and bass guitar virtuoso Thundercat has an appreciation for various levels of intoxication. DJ Candlestick and OG Ron C originally chopped & screwed chopped-not-slopped Thundercat s epic 2017 effort pro bono, out of sheer love…
Finally reissued and it feels so good! Tony Tone Tone s sought-after third album from 1993 gets it s first (and long over due) repress courtesy of Motown and the Respect The Classics series. Sons Of Soul found the Oakland-based trio paying homage to classic soul groups of the 60 s and 70 s like The Temptations, Isleys, Sly Stone, and…